On a Thursday night, my husband and I entered to a bustling bar area, where a piano and drum duo was playing jazzy standards. We were seated in the dining room, which has a quieter atmosphere. Its dťcor was a blend of upscale and homey, with white tablecloths, soft lighting and touches like souvenir salt and pepper shakers on each table.

We started with warm, crusty bread that came with two ramekins. One had a piped rosette of butter, and the other had a garlicky pesto-like spread.

I started with the appetizer billed as Michaelís ďfamousĒ Bang Bang Shrimp. The name begs for comparisons with a homonymous dish at a seafood chain restaurant. The plating of the dish and texture of the shrimp are similar, but whereas the chain version can be too spicy for my sensitive taste buds, this version was a bit tepid for my taste.

My husband started with a grilled romaine salad. A half head of Romaine was grilled and served whole on an oval dish, drizzled with a chipotle Caesar dressing that nicely complemented the char of the lettuce. It was abundantly sprinkled with shaved Parmesan.

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I ordered a fire-roasted half chicken, which the menu indicated had been marinated in a lemon herb vinaigrette. The outside of the chicken was quite charred, so I was relieved to find that the meat was cooked properly inside. I didnít detect the lemony marinade on the chicken, but it was served with a small bowl on the side. It was strong on the lemon.

My husband ordered a double thick pork chop. Served French cut on the bone, the thick piece of meat was perfectly cooked and very tender. A chipotle barbecue sauce was cooked on the chop to a shiny glaze; it also came with a small cup of the sauce, which had just a touch of heat.

Our waiter suggested mashed potatoes for both of our entrees, and we were happy we took his advice. A departure from trendy smashed red potatoes, these potatoes were a delicious throwback to the days when mashed potatoes were creamy and oh so buttery.

When my husband and I dine together, we usually split a dessert. But when our server recited the out-of-the-ordinary house-made dessert options, we decided to splurge.

My husband chose bourbon carrot cake, which had a pronounced but not overpowering taste of his favorite booze. I ordered zeppole, which are Italian doughnuts made with an eggy dough that gives them a chewier texture than American fried cakes. These were warm and coated with cinnamon and sugar; they reminded me of churros.

The service during our meal was impeccable.

The bus staff was friendly and quick to refill water glasses, and the hostess checked in as well.

Our server was a pro, knowledgeable about the wines and menu and not at all hesitant to answer questions and offer suggestions. We noticed that he called several customers by name, and he mentioned in passing that he had been working there for 14 years.

Clearly its continuity has made Michaelís Valley Grill a well-oiled machine.